Life is Strange has always revolved around emotions. Above the coming-of-age independent film style, the soundtrack with licensed themes, the high school dramas, or the supernatural component, in the end, what stays with us are its characters. Or, rather, the possibility of identifying with them and with the problems they face. Perhaps, for this reason, Deck Nine, the studio responsible for the Life is Strange: Before the Storm prequel, has put emotions at the forefront of Life is Strange: True Colors, the new installment for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | Yes, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and PC, which is Life is Strange 3 in all but name. Read on more about it in our Life is Strange: True Colors review.
Life is Strange: True Colors Review
Emotions are no longer just a consequence of events; emotions, what the new characters feel, are the engine that moves the plot of this new installment forward. And to help us detect, understand and take advantage of them, we have the supernatural power of Alex Chen, the new protagonist: The power of empathy.
Will Deck Nine manage with the games developed by Dontnod? How does it affect the fact that this time all the chapters are put up for sale at once? All that and much more in our Life is Strange: True Colors review.
Everyone asks "who is Alex?" but no one asks "how is Alex?"
As Life is Strange 2 did, the True Colors story begins "from scratch", taking us to a new location where we meet new characters and tell a new story.
There are, yes, connections with the previous ones. Some are very obvious (like Steph Gingrich's character) and others are more subtle, in the form of small references that staunch fans of the saga will easily recognize. But it is a game that can be enjoyed without prior knowledge.
Life Is Strange: True Colors Story
The story of Life is Strange: True Colors is divided into five chapters, with the big difference that they are all released at once, eliminating the need to wait several months to find out how that cliffhanger continues. It seems like a success at all levels.
It all begins when Alex, a young Asian-American with a troubled past, decides to move to Haven Springs, the idyllic town in the mountains of Colorado where Gabe lives, her brother whom she has not seen for eight years.
From here, the story unfolds, and we get to know Haven Springs very well, its inhabitants, their relationships and personal stories, and everything that surrounds the town itself. In that sense, True Colors is more reminiscent of the first Life is Strange than the second one.
As far as development is concerned, True Colors is very similar to the previous Life is Strange, so if you have played them, you already know what to expect: great importance to the dialogues, the possibility of making decisions that affect both the plot and the way the characters treat us, little touches of exploration, a lot of interaction with the setting...
But there is a small change that begins to be seen from chapter 2: At certain times, we can freely explore Haven Springs, as well as enter some of the establishments. It is not a gigantic map, but a large number of interactions available makes seeing and doing everything in these phases of freedom take time.
It is somewhat ironic that empathy is the power of this installment because far from being a science fiction skill, it is a quality that we all have or can develop. Of all the Life is Strange, it is the "least supernatural" power, so to speak.
Sure, this makes the story more human and easier to identify with the characters and the problems they face...
...But it also leads to a contradiction: understanding how others feel and helping them becomes self-imposed for Alex, even in situations where she should be the one supported by her friends. Knowing the emotions of others is important, but True Colors sometimes forgets that one's own emotions (Alex, in this case) are just as important.
Life is Strange: True Colors: Graphics
Regarding the graphic section, Life is Strange: True Colors has improved significantly compared to previous installments. The key has been to use motion capture technology in a comprehensive way, which translates into animations, especially facial, much more natural. The characters in Life is Strange have never expressed so much without needing to say words.
What unfortunately has not changed is the lack of naturalness with which many of the conversations take place, something that is evidenced by the artificial pauses between sentences. It does not always happen, but when it happens, the bubble breaks to remind us that we are facing a video game.
It may seem a bit unfair to place True Colors below the previous Life is Strange, when it is the most varied and the most complete, but the fact of repeating the formula point by point or dealing with very similar topics makes it the least memorable or the one that leaves the least footprint on the player...
Although this, like emotions, is something that you must feel yourself to know for sure. And for more guides, stick around at GamesAtlas.
